Memo to Johnson & Johnson: Suing the American Red Cross over the use of the small red-cross symbol might not be the best way to build your brand and curry favor with the public. There’s plenty of press today about the dispute’s origins and machinations. But here’s the thing: The Red Cross, for the most part, is about providing aid and comfort in times of disaster. J&J makes some useful products (Band-Aids, Tylenol, etc.), but I don’t recall any members of its board of directors offering assistance outside my apartment building after a fire in 1995. Guess who was there. Hint: They wore Red Crosses. (Did I mention this was in the middle of the night, and that we were having a blizzard at the time?) The Pope also uses the cross as a symbol. Why not sue the Vatican to really generate some good PR? And don’t think that reverse design is going to get you out of hot water, Switzerland.

—Posted by David Gianatasio